A sensor developed at St. FX University to detect gas leaks for Canada’s petroleum industry is being field tested for commercial use. Earlier this year, St. FX signed a technology collaboration agreement with Toronto-based Altus Group Limited. It gives the company exclusive worldwide commercialization usage rights to the university’s vehicle mounted gas leak detection technology, called ExACT. ExACT stands for Emissions Attribution via Computational Techniques.

St. FX Earth Sciences Professor Dave Risk says 8 site visits in the four western provinces are planned over the next few weeks.

When the sensor is ready for commercial use, Risk says Altus will manage the units, providing data from the sensors to its clients. Risk says it’s working with Altus on modifying the sensor, including making the unit smaller and being able to measure the size of the emission.

St. FX University is a partner in a multi-agency study to assess methane emissions from old coal mines and oil and gas wells in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The project involves eight or nine organizations and companies. Four Universities are taking part, led by Dalhousie, and also includes UNB and Waterloo.

Estimates suggest there are more than 19-hundred coal mines in Nova Scotia, dating back to the late 18th century.

One of those involved in the project is Dr. Dave Risk of the St. FX Earth Sciences Department.

giving St.FX a geology software package with a market value of 10 million dollars US over three years. Included in this package is the Petrel E & P software platform which geoscientists can use to combine surface and subsurface data to build graphics and models of local geology. The program can help companies target areas for drilling, including oil and gas, and water.

Environmental Science instructor Matthew Schumacher approached Schlumbeger about a software donation. Schumacher says this software gives the students practical hands on experience, leading to potential job opportunities after graduation.

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Antigonish RCMP have laid impaired driving related charges after a man arrived at the detachment hoping to secure the release of a friend in police custody.
RCMP say the man arrived at the detachment just be... read the rest.

Several St. FX Varsity Hockey players have picked up major national awards. At the U Sports Women's Hockey national awards in London, Ontario, X-Women
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